Jodi worked closely with a team of consultants, the Oakville Age-Friendly Committee, Town of Oakville Staff, and a full range of stakeholders to develop the Town’s first Age-Friendly Baseline Study. Jodi designed a robust community-wide survey, as well as planned and facilitated a series of interviews and focus groups, intercept interviews with local residents, and world café-style workshop. Results from this work were compiled into a baseline report for the Town to determine next steps in becoming more age-friendly. 

Since 2006, Jodi has worked closely with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and community residents and stakeholders to identify changing housing needs and develop strategies and solutions to address growing challenges.  As part of the most recent Plan, the Chatham-Kent Housing and Homelessness Plan (2019), project deliverables included a statistical update for all housing indicators; engagement of community stakeholders (interviews, online surveys, focused discussions, system mapping, design labs and workshops); a comprehensive review of all provincial and local policy and legislation, establishing a housing vision, objectives, actions/strategies, and measures; and establishing housing targets (including targets for accessible and supportive housing).

J Consulting Group, in association with Vink Consulting, conducted a review of the City of Greater Sudbury’s emergency shelter system. To identify current strengths and gaps in the current shelter system, J Consulting Group facilitated a series of engagement activities including interviews with key stakeholders and ‘kitchen-table’ style conversations with shelter users.  A workshop with shelter operators and partners was designed and facilitated to support the development of a model to effectively deliver an integrated homelessness service system.

Building on the County’s previous Housing and Homelessness Plan (2014-2024), J Consulting Group and Vink Consulting worked closely with the County and its community partners to re-examine the housing and homelessness issues facing communities across the County and put forward strategies to better respond to the range of housing issues and support needs of individuals and families. This work involved a detailed analysis of the housing trends and key issues facing individuals and families across the County.  Using a human-centred design approach, the Plan engaged a range of stakeholders, evaluated the overall coordination and delivery of homelessness and housing services and programs, identified greater opportunities for coordination and harmonization within the housing system, and identified objectives, actions, targets and measures to respond to the current and future housing needs in communities across the County.

Jodi conducted quantitative and qualitative research and facilitated a series of conversations aimed at identifying opportunities for greater efficiencies within the Centralized Waiting List, for social housing, system in York Region. Consultations included full day observation sessions with staff, interviews with social housing applicants, and focus groups with staff across departments. As part of the final report, 10 recommendations were put forward for moving forward with a more efficient and effective system. Recommendations included a 3-phase approach to restructuring the current Centralized Waiting List application process. 

J Consulting Group worked in partnership with Vink Consulting and the City of Windsor to review the Windsor Essex 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.  This project involved conducting an assessment of current and future housing needs within Windsor Essex and developing goals, objectives and strategies to improve access to safe, affordable, accessible and quality housing and support services for individuals and families in Windsor Essex. It involved re-thinking and re-organizing the housing and homelessness system, to focus on housing stability, homelessness prevention and quick access to permanent housing (housing first) rather than emergency responses. The Plan also considers the housing and support needs of specific population groups, including persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, immigrants, youth, seniors, and victims of domestic violence. Approximately 1,500 residents and stakeholders provided insights and feedback into the Plan.

Working with a consulting team comprised of the University of Toronto Balance of Care Group, Snyder Architects and SHS Consulting, on behalf of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Jodi led the team to prepare content for an updated, web-based, Housing Options for Persons Living with Dementia Guide.  The Guide is aimed at providing information and guidance, through a web-based platform, to individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, and to operators and providers of housing for persons with dementia.   Jodi facilitated online consultations with providers and operators of existing community-based housing for persons living with dementia across the country, with caregivers of persons living with dementia, and with people living with dementia themselves. The Guide was developed using a conceptual framework informed by a person-centered care philosophy.

The overall purpose of the Older Adult Service Review and Strategy was to examine the full range of program and services for older adults in Oakville and to develop a vision with sustainable recommendations to position the Town to respond to the changing needs, diversity and trends of an aging population. J Consulting Group led a series of consultation activities aimed at identifying current and future program needs, preferences and gaps within the existing service model.

J Consulting Group led the design and implementation of a community engagement strategy aimed at hearing from a broad range of community stakeholders and residents on the direction of parks, recreation and culture across The Nation.  Engagement activities were conducted in both official languages and included: pop-up events, community workshops, community open houses, a statistically valid telephone survey, on-line survey, stakeholder focus groups and interviews with key staff.

J Consulting Group, in collaboration with PRC Solutions, worked with the Town of Hanover to conduct a robust engagement program to inform the development of a 15 Year Parks, Recreation and Cultural Master Plan.  The consultation program incorporated traditional techniques such as interviews, focus groups, surveys and open houses, as well as more creative techniques such as community visioning boards, and hosting an interactive conversation café using tools such as Feedback Frames. 

As part of the PRC Solutions team, J Consulting Group was the consultation lead in the development of the Clearview Township’s Recreation, Parks and Culture Master Plan.  Our team designed, planed and facilitated a full spectrum of engagement activities including key informant interviews, stakeholder focus groups, community pop-up events at local farmers’ markets, and multi-stakeholder workshops.  Engagement techniques incorporated group brainstorming, storytelling, photovoice, and world café.  Consultation results provided valuable insights in setting the future direction of parks, recreation and culture in the Township.

As part of a consortium of consultants, Jodi facilitated a series of neighbourhood workshops to hear from Edmontonians to help clarify housing needs and opportunities within five inner City neighbourhoods.  These workshops, along with a review of data, provided a baseline for developing five Neighbourhood Housing Roadmaps.  Each roadmap established a shared vision for housing along with founding principles, as well as put forward a series of unique actions and housing pilot projects.

The importance of providing safe, appropriate, and accessible care for our seniors is vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities.  The senior care sector in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent has been experiencing several challenges related to the recruitment and retention of senior care staff. Because of these challenges, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Employment and Social Services, and Riverview Gardens in partnership with the Chatham-Kent Workforce Planning Board engaged Jodi Ball, J Consulting Group, to research and provide recommendations regarding the challenges encompassing the recruitment and retention of staff in senior homes and residential care organizations. The final report put forward several opportunities to address the challenges related to four broad themes: Resources, Work Environment, Education & Training, and Promotion & Outreach.

As part of a review of the City of Windsor shelter system, J Consulting Group facilitated a consultation process aimed at understanding current service strengths and gaps in emergency shelter services in Windsor Essex. This process incorporated interviews with City staff, shelter service providers, and community partners. Focus groups with shelter users and brief ‘intercept’ interviews with non-shelter users (individuals sleeping ‘rough’) were also conducted.  J Consulting Group also facilitated a series of conversation with comparable municipalities to explore best practices and promising approaches in homelessness system planning.  The key outcome from this work was a recommended service deliver model that aimed to improving access, providing diversion supports, promoting dignity and respect, incorporating housing-focused services, and measuring performance through data collection.